Door-operating mechanism



Sept. 25, 1928.

J. F. O'CONNOR DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Eillll V Filed Jan. 16, 1926Patented Sept. 25, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. OCONNOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO W. H. MINER, INC., OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

DOOR-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed January 16, 1926 This invention relates to dooroperating mechanisms.

An object of the invention is to provide a door operating mechanismcomprising a rotatable crank member adapted to be mounted upon arelatively fixed supporting member, and arranged to cooperate withsuitable keeper means mounted upon a swinging door. whereby rotation ofsaid crank in opposite directions efi'ects opening and closing movementof said door.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an operatingmechanism for a pair of refrigerator car doors in which one of saiddoors is adapted to be held in closed position by suitable lockingmeans, and the other door opened and closed while the first door is heldclosed, wherein a rotatable crank member is mounted upon the dooradapted to be first closed, which crank member is arranged to bedisposed between the forked end portions of a keeper bracket mountedupon the other door, so that said latter door is levered open byrotation of the crank in one direction, and pushed toward closedposition when the crank is rotated in the opposite direction.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more clearly appearfrom the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sideelevational View of a portion of a refrigerator car showing myimprovements in connection therewith, the view being partly broken awayto better accommodate the figure to the sheet of drawing. And Figure 2is a horizontal, sectional view. corresponding substantially to the line22, Figure 1.

In said drawing the car is shown as provided with a door frame 10 andtwo pivoted doors 11 and 12, having meeting beveled edges in the usualmanner. As is customary in refrigerator cars, insulation or packing isemployed between the meeting edges of the door and door frame andbetween the meeting edges of the doors themselves. The doors 11 and 12are mounted to swing about vertical axes, being supported by suitablehinges 13, the door 11 being provided with a wear plate 14 at the lowerri ht hand corner thereof against which the plv oted latch 15, mountedon the door frame 10 Serial No. 81,648.

is adapted to be turned, so that the door 11 may be locked in closedposition prior to the door 12.

As shown. the improved door operating mechanism comprises broadly anoperating crank member or shaft A, an operating handle B for actuatingsaid crank member; and a keeper C adapted to be engaged by the crankmember for effecting opening and closing movements of the door.

The operating shaft A is mounted upon the door 11, and comprises anintermediate crank portion 16. the opposite ends of which are offset toprovide journal sections 17-17, which are rotatably mounted in upper andlower supporting brackets 18 and 19, which are affixed adjacent theswinging edge of the door 11 at a point intermediate the top and bottomedges of said door. The lower end of the cylindrical journal section 17is fiattened out as indicated at 20 and extends some distance below thebracket 19, and to the flattened portion 20 is pivotally connected theoperating lever B by means of a pivot pin 21. the operating handle Bbeing arranged to lie flat against the door 12 when the same is inclosed position. Said handle is provided with an elongated slot 22adapted for the reception of the projecting lug 23 forming part of thebra cket- 24 secured uponthe door 12,said bracket having pivotallyassociated therewith the retaining element 25 by which the handle B maybe locked to the door 12 when the same is closed.

Secured to the forward edge of the door 12 is the keeper bracket C. Saidbracket comprises a base portion 26 suitably reinforced bylongitudinally extending ribs 27, the central rib being interrupted andthe base plate provided with apertures for the reception of the securingbolts 28. The forward portion of the bracket C extends beyond theswinging edge of the door 12 so as to overlap the edge portion of thedoor 11. as indicated at 29, and the forward extension 29 of saidbracket is provided with spaced abutments 30 and 31, the abutment 30lying substantially in the plane of the base member, and the abutment 31being formed by a laterally extending curved portion 32. and anangularly disposed forwardly extending portion 33, the abutmcnts 30 and31 being of a width substantially eo-extensii'e with the distancebetween the otlset journal portions of the crank shaft A, theintermediate portion 16 ot the crank shatt being adapted to be disposedbetween the at int i: icnts 30 and 31. whereby rotation of said cran vhatt will cause the same to engage one or the other of saidal'iutn'ients and eti'ect opening or closing n'mvements of the door 12.n ng upon the direction of rotation of the shaft through manipulation ofthe handle it.

In operation, assuming that it is desired to open the doors wh n thesame are closed as illustrated in Figure 1. the handle B is firstdisengaged from the locking and sealing mechanivau upon the door 12, andis then swung radially outwardly from the face of the door 12, causingthe intermediate portion 16 of the crank shaft to come into contact withthe inner surtace ot the abutment 31, which movement wilt serve to leverthe door 12 in an opening direction a sutiicient distance to clear theinsulation between the edges of the door, after which the door 12 may befully opened hv hand. The door 11 is then free to be opened bydisengaging latch 15 and swing ing the door to fully open position. Inclosing the doors. the door 11 is first swung nearly closed and then thelatch 15 thrown into place. The door 12 is then moved in a closingdirection until the crank member 16 may be disposed between theabutments 30 and 31, after which swinging of the handle B toward thedoor 12 will cause the crank shaft to bear upon the abutment S0 and thusforce both doors to fully closed position tightly compressing theinsulation, and leaving latch 15 free. the handle 1% being thenreengaged with the locking mechanism upon the door 12.

By the above described arrangement it will he noted that both thebracket and the operating handle extend across the meeting edges of thedoors. and that the handle is carried entirel by the door 11. so thatthe same may he swung clear of the door 12 when the same is l'ieii'igtullv opened. Attention is also directed to the tact that by mountingthe crank upon the door which is practically stationary, a prying actionot' the crank against the abutment 231 is permitted, atl'ordiug greatpower which is useful in opening the doors as the same frequently bindand require consider able power to separate the meeting edges thereofand breaking all edges free of door frame. Outward movement of door 11being limited by the latch 15. Another important feature of theinvention resides in the fact that the entire mechanism is mountedentirel v within the boundaries of the doors, and hence there is nolikelihood of the shaft interfering with loadii'lg platforms, whichoccurs in operation of mechanism wherein the crank portions for openingand closing the door extend beyond the top and bottom edges of the door.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferredmanner of carrying out my invention but the same is merely illustrativeand I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within thescope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a relativelytixcd member and a swinging door member; of a rotatable shatt includingan elongated crank portion provided with offset cylindrical journalsections at opposite ends thereof, and one of said ends having aflattened extension thereon; means on said fixed member in which thejournal sections of said shaft are rotatably mounted; a handle mountedon the flattened extension of said journal section, said handle beingarranged to be secured to said door member when the same is closed and akeeper bracket secured to said door member, said bracket having meansproviding spaced abutments eo-extensive with said crank center andadapted to receive the crank member between said abutments.

2. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a supportingmember and a door member; of an elongated crank portion provided withofl'set ournal sections at opposite ends, said sections being rotativelymounted on one of said members; an operating handle for effectingrotation of said crank, said handle and crank portion being disposedwithin the confines of the top and bottom edges of the supporting memberand door; and means secured to the other of said members, said meansproviding spaced abutments between which the crank member is adapted tobe disposed, and said means being arranged within the confines of thetop and bottom edges of said supporting member and door.

3. In a door operating mechanism, the combination with a pair of pivoted doors having free edges adapted to being placed in abuttingrelation; one of said doors being the first to be closed: an elongatedcrank member provided with ottset journal sections at opposite ends. oneof said ends having a flattened extension thereon, said crank memberbeing rotativelv mounted upon the door adapted to be first closed: ahandle mounted upon the flattened extension of said journal section andadapted to be secured to the other door when said doors are closed and akeeper bracket secured to said other door. said bracket having meansproviding a forked portion co-extensive with said crank member andadapted to receive said crank member between the fnrcations thereof.

4. In a door operating mechanism. the combination with a pair of doors,one of said doors being adapted to be first closed and secured inposition; of a crank member rotatably mounted adjacent the free edge ofthe tttb door first closed, and disposed Within said free edge, and itsvertical dimensions being confined Within the boundaries defined by thetop and bottom edges of the door, said crank member being provided witha handle for operating the same, said handle being adapted to span themeeting edges of the two doors When both are closed, and having meanscooperating With means on the other door whereby said handle may belocked in this position, said handle in the extreme opening position ofthe crank member being disposable entirely within the boundaries of thedoor first closed; and keeper means secured to said other door, saidkeeper means being in the form of a casting, having a projecting portionextending beyond the free edge of the other door, so as to overlap themeeting edges of the two doors when both are closed, said projectingportion being provided With spaced abutments between which the crankmember is adapted to be disposed, whereby movement of said handle to aposition adjacent the first door efi'ects movement of the other door inan opening direction, While movement of the handle toward the other doorefi'ects movement of the other door in a closing direction. said keepermeans being disposed well within the top and bottom boundaries of thetwo doors.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 8th day of January, 1926.

JOHN F. OCONNOR.

